Got a good heart, but feel like you have little to give? I just pulled out all of my receipts showing my charity purchases for the month of April. Turns out I bought $59.47 worth of shampoo, food, and cleaning supplies for just $2.79. That’s a savings of more than 95%! You can do it, too! Here’s how:

Pick up Sunday Ads: Every Sunday after church I pick up a newspaper. Usually later that night I look over each ad to see what’s free. Yes, free. Every week, without fail, drug store chains like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid offer items you can buy for free. You pay for the item and they’ll give you a certificate worth that same amount that can be used on a future purchase.

Cross Check with Coupons: Once I found out what’s free, I check to see if I’ve got a coupon for it. If you have a coupon for the item, you can end up making money on the deal because the store will still give you a certificate for the full price to use on a future purchase despite the fact that you didn’t pay full price.

Make a List: I usually make a list of the items that are free at each store so I can swing by sometime throughout the week and pick them up. If I don’t make a list I forget which store is offering what deals.

Stock Up on Good Deals: If I come across a really great deal I buy more than I might normally. You can’t beat buying Scrubbing Bubbles for $.50 or soup for just $.09.

Deliver the Goods: Every other week I drop off a bag or two of the freebies and good deals I scored to a local non-profit. Rather than hoard it all in my pantry or closet I like knowing that someone else is going to get good use out of it.